Roadhoggs Leicester AC

Roadhogg runners

2017 News Archive

2016 News Archive

2015 News Archive

2014 News Archive

2013 News Archive

2012 News Archive

2011 News Archive

NEWS ARCHIVE 2012

Huncote Hash

Lucy

There was a good turnout of 'mud-hoggs' for the annual Huncote Hash. Bits of the course had been under water a few days before and the after effects of the recent rain were still much in evidence. The organisers were forced to make a few changes including bypassing the stream (which would have been up to Clare's waist).

Nick led the Hogg contingent with a fine 5th place and both John H and Steve R seemed to be going well. Jackie, Amy and Barbara were up front for the ladies and Lucy looked like she was loving her first taste of cross country. Results are on the Huncote site.

When the Going Gets Tough...

Nick Cobley

The Gaddesby Gallop is proper 'old school' cross country; no manicured parkland here, just mud, sh*t, water and more mud! It's no coincidence that it has established itself as a Roadhogg favourite. With rain falling faster than a banker's popularity, the conditions were particularly tough this year; the dew pond was full again and the runners had to battle against the flow in the famous drainage pipe (who needs Harrison Ford?). The fields might have looked like the Somme but Nick donned his Santa hat and stormed to a victory that would have been even more emphatic had he not taken a characteristic detour along the way.

Check out the Leicester Mercury report (complete with video of Ludo emulating Tom Daley in the dew pond).

Roadhogg Raiders Reign of Terror

Pirate Night 2012

It might have been wetter than the high seas but the Roadhogg raiding party took to the streets of Knighton and Clarendon Park to mark the last training run of 2012. Ian and Amy were voted the best dressed pirate couple and the rum flowed afterwards in the Cow & Plough.

Hitting the Heights at Sinai

Bec  Nick

After a 31 runner turn out at Markfield, pessimists like me thought it would be 'after the Lord Mayor's show' when we hit the far-away slopes of Sinai Park and Battlestead Hill. Not a bit of it; the enthusiasm for all things muddy remains just as strong, with 27 members (including 11 ladies) making the long trip. Kim was also able to unveil the splendid new Roadhogg banner which is so large NASA will soon be using it as a navigational aid for spacecraft.

The modified course was made fast and tricky by the freeze that persisted in the sheltered spots but that didn't stop some really impressive Hogg performances. The highlights were a matching pair of 6th places recorded by Nick and Bec, ludo's best ever XC finish (14th) and Jackie's 22nd. There were also great runs from Ruth (27th) and John D (109th) and an excellent debut from Steve R. Results. Kim's full report.

What a Night!

East Clintwood Band

Roadhoggs' cowboy-themed presentation evening must go down as one of the best ever. Mark supplied the food, Keith and the 'East Clintwood Band' supplied the entertainment and the lovely Leisure Centre staff kept the booze flowing.

John Stew was voted 'Athlete of the Year' by the members. The other trophies were awarded as follows:
'Most Improved Athlete' - Mark Ramsden
Lady Captain's Award - Clare Mendes
Men's Captain's Award - Richard Norton
Cross Country Captain's Award - Colin Bowpitt
Chairman's Award - John Stew
'Services to Roadhoggs' Award - Keith Dakin

Richard Verschoyle, Sid Smith and Rex Stapleford were all awarded Honorary Life Membership of the club.

John Stew Mark Ramsden Clare Mendes Keith Dakin

Stop Press: John Hits 80!

John completed his 80th Marathon at Luton.

Muddy Mayhem at Markfield

Some of the team at Markfield

There must have been times when Kim thought that cross country was the Cinderella of Roadhogg racing; not anymore! We had a magnificent total of 31 runners for the first race of the season (27 members and 4 guests (hopefully soon to be members)). Kim was getting writer's cramp just taking everyone's details and at times he was as bemused as a granddad at a surprise party who is presented with  grandchild after grandchild!

It was pretty muddy underfoot, but the sun shone and the National Forest was at its beautiful autumn best. The field was huge and the queues worse than the Post Office on pension day, so there was plenty of time to admire the scenery! We welcomed lots of 'Derby Runner virgins'; Chris, Rachel, Amy, Morgan, Jess, Lorena, Dan (x2) and Lee. Hopefully they're all hooked. Nick was top 10, Bec ran really well for the ladies and Sam J had a stormer. Read Kim's full report. Results.

Roadhoggs Light Up Leicester

Dave Bullivant  Richard Scott

Roadhoggs turned up mob-handed for the annual Leicester Marathon and Half with 33 making it to the start. In the full, Jerry was superb, Richard smashed his PB by almost a minute per mile, Dave B went sub-4 at the first time of asking and Steve P made a very respectable debut. Keith went from the sublime to the ridiculous (how many black cats did he drown in a previous life to be so unlucky?) and Baz surprised himself by completing a Marathon he had no right to. All this and number 77 for John.

In the half, Nick had to set a PB to make sure that Mark R didn't emulate Ludo by beating him. Mark had the consolation of yet another PB and we had 3 ladies break 1.40; Emma, Jackie and Bec. There were something like 13 PBs in all and some other notable stories. Rob T toughed it out with an injury because he didn't want to let his charity backers down and Martin paced his daughter Lorena to her first ever half.

Another Wonderful Weekend

Tissington Trail HM

After last week's PB fest there were more notable performances this weekend. The Tissington Trail Half Marathon didn't quite qualify as a genuine HM (slightly short and a bit too much net height loss) but it delivered in every other respect, as did the Hoggs who graced the inaugural race. The weather was the perfect combination of sunshine and chill, the scenery was beautiful and the not so secret 7 went mad in Derbyshire. Dale,  Clare and Valerie were at their very best and Martin walked off with the V55 prize (Colin B, Dan and Dave weren't exactly shabby, either). If they run it again, this is very definitely one for the diary.

Elsewhere, Ludo finished a magnificent 5th (2.54) in the Mablethorpe Marathon and John joined him to successfully complete number 76.

John Hits Another Milestone

John Stew

It is the goal of all Marathon runners to run a negative split (be quicker in the second half than in the first). It seems that john, our Marathon Maestro/Master/Machine/Maniac/Madman (delete as appropriate), is treating his quest for 100 Marathons in the same way. After hitting the halfway mark at the beginning of the year, he has raced to 75 in just 9 months and has now completed the challenge of 4 in 4 days (that's over 100 miles for the mathematically challenged!).

Jackie's a Winner!

Jackie

Jackie has been in great form over the summer (5M and 5K PBs) and now she's a winner, too. Meet the Leicester City 5K Summer Series lady champion! If that wasn't enough, whilst everyone else was wilting in the heat, she helped herself to a blistering 1.41 PB at the Grunty Fen Half Marathon. What now - sub-1.40 at Leicester maybe (no pressure!)?

Round Leicester Relay

Barbara   Ian

On a wing and a prayer, we managed to field two teams in the annual Round Leicester Relay. There were some heroic performances out there in the heat and with Rex, Barry and Colin all stepping up, I'm sure we won the category for team with the highest aggregate age! Dan Barnes and Grace ran their first races for the club and we also had Craig's friend Morgan to lend a hand. For the record only, our mixed team finished 17th and our men's team 24th out of 26th. Full Results.

Comeback Kid!

Ludo

Since suffering a stress-fracture at the beginning of the year Ludo has had to re-model his running style and rebuild his fitness very patiently. Like Steve Austin (The 6-Million Dollar Man, for younger readers) he seems to have come back "better, faster, stronger"! Today he came 8th, recorded a 58 minute 10-miler and beat Nick for the first time.

In one of the tougher races in the County there were fantastic runs from Jackie (Dave P's coaching tips must be paying off) and Charlotte, and a great effort from Cheryl in her first ever race (what a baptism of fire!). We also had the 'Return of the Magnificent Seven' with Alison, Clare, Dale, Dave, Keith, Lee and Nick all qualifying for 100% awards. Provisional results.

Rex at 80

Rex Stapleford

Most people would celebrate turning 80 with something a little less strenuous (a game of dominoes and a cup of cocoa perhaps), but Rex is not most people. He has celebrated the milestone by adding road races to his usual diet of long off-roaders. The Hermitage 10K, one of the toughest in the County, was Rex's first League race since 2006 but the smooth style that characterises his running was still much in evidence.

Summer holidays meant we were a little light on numbers but there were some good performances, not the least of which was Lucy's PB on such a hard course. updated results.

 

Huncote 5

Lee 

A great evening for the club with members helping themselves like Nick at a buffet! Form man, Mark R, smashed his PB (getting close to the 30-minute barrier) and Lee slashed an impressive 2 minutes off his previous best. Dale sprained his ankle in the warm-up and was so desperate to finish and stop the pain that he nearly broke his PB! John Hallissey ran his fastest ever race. Bec was faster than she's been in years and towed Jackie to a PB. No doubt more stories will emerge. Provisional results.

Hungarton 7

The Roadhogg love affair with the hills of East Leicestershire continues. Despite the poor weather in the run up and the subsequent problems with parking, we had 36 finishers (just one down on the all-time record). Ludo made his league come-back and Steve Palmer, Amy Gasper and Richard Scott all made their debuts for the club. Charlotte was first lady and Valerie ran her first race since her injury. Results.

The Glooston 10K

Mathew Almond: Men's winner  Kate Ramsey: Ladies' winner

We hope you all enjoyed your race. Results are now available, along with a selection of pictures. High resolution copies are available on request (FOC) © Roadhoggs.

 

Mark J

While we were 'sweaty in Swithland', Richard was 'sleepless in Settle' (Three Peaks)and John was 'done for in Derbyshire' (Leaden Boot), Mark was 'scorched in Scotland'. Despite the difficult conditions, he recorded an excellent 4.23 debut Marathon in Edinburgh.

Scorching Swithland

After three wet years, the Swithland 6 reverted to traditional summer weather. Sun cream, shades and caps were the order of the day a Leicestershire basked in the sunshine. We had 32 finishers, including first league races for Lucy and Rachel, who were two of ten Hogettes to fly the flag. Times were generally a bit slower but there were plenty of good performances, including an excellent come-back from Colin S in his first race of the year. Results.

Roasting in Riga

Roadhoggs in Riga

Despite an early start I understand it was a bit of a scorcher in Riga. Clare was the only one to record a PB in the race but it sounds like there were plenty of PBs in the partying stakes.

Hinckley Half

Trudy Mark J

Although the strain is clearly showing on her face, Trudy's effort earned her a PB. There were also PBs for Mark R (a magnificent 1.25), Sam J, Mark J and Clare, too.  Provisional results.

The Next Generation

Jaiden

The Roadhogg baby boom continued with the arrival of Jaiden Curry (6lb 11oz) on Wednesday 2nd May. Congratulations to proud parents Anita and Andrew.

Debut Success

Nick Cobley

Nick proved two things on Saturday; that he's a winner, and that he is capable of getting out of bed! He was missing from our Livingston line-up the week before after an over enthusiastic application of the 'Chamberlain race prep' caused him to over-sleep. Obviously disappointed on missing out on running round Braunstone Park, he signed up for Parkrun and romped home in an impressive 17.02, taking victory by 10 seconds.

Easter Hares

Peter  Trudy

It looks like plenty of Hoggs have been busy over the holiday period. Performances that have come across my radar include; a welcome return to form for Peter and PBs for Dan, Jackie and Clare in the Belvoir Half, and a quick time for Trudy in the Northampton Festival Half. Adam braved both a cold and cold and wet conditions to complete his first Marathon in Milan and Martin rolled back the years with an excellent 4.02 in the Lochaber Marathon.

The Kibworth 6

Beautiful sunshine, lovely scenery and enough hills to make a fell runner sit up and take notice! It is a measure of the progress we have made as a club that we were able to stage the race and enter 26 runners. The Roadhogg family were out in force to help Swanee, Colin and Ron ensure that everything went smoothly.

Nick went top 10, Miguel (back from his holidays) and Mark R were both flying and Nathan Adams (son of Neil) showed huge potential in his first 6 miler. Jackie was 30th and Ruth made the top 50. Results.

LRRL: Markfield 10K

A beautiful spring day and a classic course. We were still missing a few of the fast boys but there were plenty of people ready to step up. Nick was mixing it with the big boys and Mark R continued his good form with another superb PB (on a course that is no pushover) and a top 50 finish. Steve W also bagged a PB and Dan obliterated his. For the ladies we had Ruth back from injury to keep Jackie honest. Results.

LRRL: Ashby 5

Perfect weather, pity about the lack of scenery! The Ashby 5 will never win any beauty contests and the traffic humps, chicanes and assorted other obstacles mean you can never relax. However, we had plenty of good performances. Barbara and Kylie had their first runs for the club and Paul had his first outing of the season. John D, Roger, Sam R, Jackie, Fi, Trudy all had quick ones and Keith had an absolute stormer. Full report. Results .

A Clean Sweep

We may be one of the smaller clubs in the Derby Runner League but we managed to score in every round. It was touch and go for the final race but Sara and Fi responded to the call and took some mud for the team! Read Kim's race report. Results.

Hot Chilean!

Miguel

It might have been a dull cold day but Miguel was certainly blowing hot as he scorched to a big sub-38 minute PB at Market Bosworth. Kim had fond memories of coming second in the race (sometime in the last century!) but for everyone else, it was a new experience. A very scenic and fair course proved popular with the athletes but traffic and parking problems gave the officials a bit of a headache, leading to a delayed start. We were a few down on the magnificent turnout at Barrow but we were able to welcome Neil and Jackie for their first race of the new season. Full report and results to follow.

Winter Wonderland

Nick Cobley

The organisers of the Charnwood Hills Race say "if you can get here, the race is on!" Despite a decent fall of snow, 300 hardy souls did just that and they were as good as their word. The scene that greeted us was like something out of a Christmas card - crisp snow, bright sunshine and beautiful scenery. Running on the loose snow was hard work but the further back you were, the more your fellow runners had compacted it for you. The race was won by, last year's runner up, Pete Swaine of Charnwood AC but our very own Nick Cobley won a hard-fought duel with Tom Yates of Barrow to land the runner up prize. If there was a trophy for second place, like the World Cup, it would surely be Roadhoggs' to keep; Mike Munday having been bridesmaid in this race too often to count.

Barrow 6

Dan  Nick Cobley

A crisp windless morning, perfect for running, attracted a record field of 580. Roadhoggs made a full contribution by fielding 35 runners. Adam, John Davies, Hamir and Sara made their league debuts. There were quality performances right through the team. Some early highlights; Nick Beer grabbed 9th in a quality field and Nick Cobley 21st finally got the better of Mike (25th). Adam made a big impact with a sub-40 run and Dan sliced 3 minutes off his PB. It was also great to welcome Peter back after his serious bike smash last September. Ruth ran really strongly for the ladies and Clare gave it a good go, too. Results

Grace Dieu

Ruth  Sam

A frosty but sunny morning meant conditions could not have been better. For once, the split start probably favoured the ladies who started second; 200 men having defrosted the course a bit. The continued dry spell left us with precious little mud to worry about. Our stalwart ladies ensured we were up to quota and there were sufficient men to allow Kim to assume his preferred role of 'Hospitality Centre Manager'. I know Trudy's cakes are wonderful but do they really need guarding that assiduously? It was good to welcome John Davies to his first race for the club and to see Ian back after injury. In the race, Nick was first home for the men and Ruth just pipped Jackie (again) for the ladies. Kim's report. Results .